DC Half Marathon Recap
This year’s DC Half didn’t disappoint! The energy, the vibes, and all the awesome runners were out there fighting through the humidity and rain to have a great run. I saw several friends and even some of the run clubs I’ve been a part of, and everyone always seems to be in such a great mood when running this event. There’s just something special about the DC Half!
For me, training for this race looked a little different. I hadn’t been able to train as consistently as I normally would because I was focused on rehabbing some lower back, knee, and hip issues (aka aging issues) from a previous half-marathon the year before. I took my time with each training run and didn’t increase my mileage the way I normally would when preparing for a half. So, while my training was a little inconsistent, the runs I did get in were quality runs.
Going into the race, I was a little apprehensive. But I reminded myself to treat it like a training run because in November, I’ll be running the Philadelphia Half Marathon with my daughter.
And let me make something VERY clear…we will be participating in the same event, and we will see each other at the finish line once I complete my run.
So, the DC Half ended up playing out pretty much exactly how I expected. I settled into a comfortable pace and honestly didn’t expect to run much faster than a 9:30-minute mile. But somewhere along the way, I surprised myself and ended up running a 9:00-minute mile!
I finished just under two hours with a 1:59:02 finish time, which I was extremely happy with given where my training was leading up to the race.
And that brings me to something I always like to remind myself—and hopefully someone else needs to hear it too:
Not every run has to be a fast run. Not every race needs to come with a PR. 🏃🏾♂️
Every race can have a different purpose and a different meaning. Sometimes you’re chasing a time, other races you’re testing your fitness. Sometimes you’re rebuilding after an injury. And sometimes, you’re simply out there enjoying the experience and being grateful that you made it to the start line.
The goal isn’t always to be faster than you were before. Sometimes the biggest win is finishing safe, healthy, and happy. And honestly, that’s what really matters.
I took the following week off, and now I’m getting ready for the District 19K next week!
Overall, I’m very happy with the results and incredibly grateful for the experience. It was also an honor to represent Rising Hearts during the race.
Thank you for the jersey and all the unexpected goodies!
Until the next one…let’s keep running!
